Ritu Phogat Wiki, Age, Boyfriend, Family, Biography & More

Ritu Phogat is an Indian MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) athlete and former Freestyle Wrestler. She is the sister of the famous wrestlers, Geeta Phogat and Babita Phogat. She is a gold medalist in the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling.

Wiki/Biography

Ritu Phogat was born on Monday, 2 May 1994 (age 25 years; as in 2019) in Balali, Haryana. Her zodiac sign is Taurus. She started her training in wrestling under the guidance of her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat, when she was just 8 years old. Initially, she found the sport hard; as she had to wake up in the morning at 4 a.m., but eventually, she developed a passion for the sport. Ritu cleared her class 10 examination and subsequently, dropped out of school to concentrate on the sport. [1]The Hindu

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5’ 1”

Hair Colour: Black

Eye Colour: Black

Family, Caste & Boyfriend

Ritu Phogat belongs to a Hindu Jat Family. Her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat, is an amateur wrestler & senior Olympics coach. Her mother, Shobha (Daya) Kaur is a homemaker. Her elder sisters, Geeta Phogat and Babita Phogat are wrestlers. Her younger sister, Sangeeta Phogat is also a wrestler. Ritu also has a younger brother named Dushyant Phogat (Modu).

Ritu Phogat with her father

Ritu Phogat with her parents

Ritu Phogat with her sisters

Ritu Phogat with her brother

Ritu Phogat with her family

Career

Ritu Phogat started her career as a wrestler in 2011 in the 48 kg freestyle category. She made her international debut in 2014 by participating in the FILA Junior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. In October 2016, Ritu won her second consecutive title at the annual National Wrestling Championships.

Ritu Phogat at the National Wrestling Championship

Subsequently, she participated in the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship held in Singapore in the 48 kg category and bagged a Gold Medal. This was the turning point of her career.

Ritu Phogat at the Commonwealth Championship

In December 2016, Phogat became the most expensive female wrestler at the Pro Wrestling League auction leaving seasoned players like Sakshi Malik and Geeta Phogat behind. She bagged a price of Rs. 36 lakh to represent the Jaipur Ninjas franchise.

In November 2017, Ritu won a Silver in the World U-23 Wrestling Championship, which was held in Bydgoscz, Poland.

Ritu Phogat during a wrestling match

In February 2019, Ritu decided to quit wrestling and pursue a career in MMA. She signed up with ONE Championship and was quoted by InsideSport,

It is both an honour and a privilege to join ONE Championship, the best and biggest martial arts organization in the world. Wrestling will always be my first love, but I feel that it is time to expand my horizons.”

She further said,

I am excited to compete against the best mixed martial artists in the world and to bring glory and pride to my home country. I also look to prove that Indian martial arts is truly world-class. Thank you, ONE Championship, for the opportunity to share my talent on the global stage.”

Subsequently, she flew to Singapore and enrolled herself in the EVOLVE MAA organisation to receive the training on different martial art forms like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, Wrestling and Boxing.